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Laying off the booze this New Year’s Eve? You’re not alone. Whether you’re finally trying out Whole30 or counting down in a dry house this year, you’ll find that sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks are suddenly everywhere, and they’re far more interesting than a cranberry and soda.
Currently, some of San Francisco’s top bars and restaurants, from Gibson in the Tenderloin to Rich Table and Nightbird in Hayes Valley, offer impressive mocktails made with complex ingredients that re-create some of alcohol’s signature characteristics, like bitterness, herbaceousness and, for lack of a better word, kick.
At Gibson, operations director Adam Chapman offers a variety of non-alcoholic concoctions made with vinegars, sour grapes and botanicals. Over at Commonwealth in the Mission District, chef Jason Fox relies on kombuchas, teas, tonics and pressed juices for complexity. And at Rich Table, chef de cuisine Brandon Rice creates elevated sodas, like Spiced Persimmon Cream Soda, made with pureed Hachiya persimmons and housemade ras-el-hanout simple syrup.
But even simple ingredients that a home bartender has on hand, like fresh ginger and a good-quality tonic like Fever-Tree, are enough to make a great mocktail, says Mike Lee, manager of training for Concord-based BevMo! He encourages customers to re-create clean high ball cocktails, like a Moscow mule or a mojito.
“Keep it simple and serve what you like,” says Lee, who creates dozens of mocktails for baby showers, anniversaries and, yes, New Year’s Eve parties. “Faux cocktails are not only good for friends who don’t drink but they’re also a nice way to make the kids feel welcome, too.”
For the holidays, he likes to play with seasonal flavors and fizz as much as possible. A few dashes of bitters added to lemon juice, tonic and simple syrup makes a solid Faux French 75; while a sprinkle of candied ginger adds an aromatic nose and elevates a simple Cran-Ginger Sparkler.
“It’s great for the holidays because it’s nice and fizzy and bright red,” he says. “If you’re looking to add a festive touch, a rock candy swizzle stick instead of simple syrup goes a long way. So does a handful of pomegranate seeds atop a flute.”
Here, Lee and other cocktail experts around the Bay Area share their favorite mocktail recipes:
Cran-Ginger Sparkler Punch Bowl
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup club soda
1½ cups cranberry juice
1 bottle sparkling cider, like Martinelli’s
Juice of one lime
Sugar
Candied ginger, optional
Directions: Fill punch bowl with ice. Pour club soda, cranberry juice and sparkling cider in a bowl and stir. Dip rim of stemless flutes in lime juice and roll in sugar. Ladle punch into glasses and sprinkle candied ginger on top.
— Courtesy of Mike Lee, Manager of Training, BevMo!
Faux French 75
Makes 1 drink
Ingredients:
4 ounces fresh lemon juice
Bitters
4 ounces tonic
½ ounce simple syrup, or rock candy stick
Directions: Fill a shaker with ice. Add lemon juice and a few dashes bitters. Pour into flute. Top off with tonic and simple syrup or add festive rock candy swizzle stick.
— Courtesy of Mike Lee, Manager of Training, Concord-based BevMo!
Pomegranate Julius
Makes 1 drink
Ingredients:
2 ounces orange juice
1 ounce pomegranate juice
½ ounce lemon juice
1 ounce milk
¾ ounce vanilla simple syrup
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker with a scoop of ice. Shake well and pour into a Collins or pilsner glass.
— Courtesy of Ron Boyd, Beverage Director, Nightbird and The Linden Room, San Francisco
Bay Laurel
Makes 1 drink
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar, to make simple syrup
6 bay leaves
4 tablespoons sumac
Eucalyptus oil (optional)
4 ounces seltzer or sparkling water
Directions: Make a simple syrup with 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a light simmer and add six bay leaves and four tablespoons ground sumac. Turn off heat and let ingredients steep for 15 minutes. Add eight to 16 drops eucalyptus oil to taste. Strain through a coffee filter.
In a champagne flute, add 1 ounce syrup and top with four ounces sparkling water. Garnish with a used bay leaf speared through a cranberry.
— Courtesy of Adam Chapman, Operations Director, Gibson, San Francisco
